The Star 29 Jun 15;
PETALING JAYA: There should be a nationwide ban on the trade of sea turtle eggs of any kind, and not just in Sabah and Sarawak, said the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
In a statement, WWF said all states in Malaysia should emulate Sarawak and Sabah's ban on the trade of endangered animal's eggs.
"As states are left to make laws relating to turtles under the Federal Constitution, this has resulted in varying standards being applied in each state," it said.
"For instance, it is not explicitly prohibited in Terengganu with the exception of Leatherback Turtle eggs. The absence of a national ban is permitting the sale of eggs that are purportedly sourced from another state or any country," it said.
The WWF noted it was practically impossible to distinguish where the turtle eggs came from, making enforcement difficult.
The statement was issued following news of the Marine Police foiling an attempted smuggling of 2,100 turtle eggs into Sandakan, as reported by The Star last week.
WWF-Malaysia chief executive Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said if left undisturbed on a nesting beach, about 70% to 80% of the eggs would have hatched.
"We have now lost approximately 1,500 hatchlings," he said.
"Malaysia is fortunate to host four species of marine turtles. Sadly, the number of turtle nestings have reduced and some populations are on the brink of extinction. Leatherback turtles have not been sighted in Terengganu in the last five years," he said.
He added that earlier this year, 19 turtle carcasses were found in Sabah waters as a result of illegal activity. From January to May this year, at least 60 male and female turtles were found dead in Terengganu, trapped in fishing nets.
"If a turtle manages to beat all odds and matures to return to the same beach it was born to nest, it may face poachers who take its eggs and end the turtle's cycle of life," WWF-Malaysia marine head Robecca Jumin said.
"The issue goes beyond that of turtle egg smuggling. Where there is demand, there is supply," she said.
Concerns that a ban would affect livelihoods should not arise as a survey conducted by WWF-Malaysia in Terengganu in November 2013 indicated that the sale of turtle eggs were not a significant source of income to villagers involved in the trade, she added.
WWF: Ban selling and eating of turtle eggs
The Star 30 Jun 15;
KOTA KINABALU: Selling or eating turtle eggs should be banned nationwide, not just in Sabah and Sarawak, said the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The conservation body made this call once again following the rampant smuggling of turtle eggs in several states.
These activities were causing a reduction in the nesting areas and taking some turtle populations to the brink of extinction, said WWF Malaysia executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma.
He said that a recent survey in Terengganu led to the discovery of hundreds of turtle eggs up for sale.
The eggs were believed to have come from another state, possibly Sabah, or from another country, such as the Philippines, he said in a statement yesterday .
WWF Malaysia believes that the challenges of stopping turtle egg smuggling did not rest with Sabah alone and it was a threat to Malaysia’s biodiversity and national security, he said.
He said Malaysia has had little success with turtle conservation because the states were left to make the laws relating to turtles, resulting in varying standards.
“While the sale of turtle eggs is prohibited in Sabah and Sarawak, this is not explicitly forbidden in Terengganu, with the exception of leatherback turtle eggs,” he said, citing an example.
He said the situation was worsened by the fact that the lack of a national ban meant the sale of turtle eggs claimed to come from another state or internationally was permitted.
Since it was difficult to differentiate turtle eggs by place of origin, enforcement was challenging, he added.
Dr Sharma commended the Sabah marine police for seizing more than 2,000 turtle eggs in Sandakan recently.
But he said it would have been better if the smuggling did not happen at all.
“If left undisturbed on the nesting beach, 70% to 80% of those eggs would have hatched.
“We have lost about 1,500 hatchlings now,” he said.
Malaysia is fortunate to host four species of marine turtles – leatherback, green, hawksbill and Olive Ridley.
